A blog about parenting, scouting and life as we know it.

Two ways to help the children at the border

If you’re not outraged by what is happening to the children at the United State’s border, I don’t know how to help you. As a journalist by trade, I often try to stay out of politics anymore. We aren’t supposed to show bias. But this situation calls for nothing but outrage. I’m sure you’ve seen the video by now of television show host Rachel Maddow breaking down in tears as she had to share the news of new camps created just for babies and toddlers. If you haven’t, you can find it here. I feel her sorrow. Sometimes, being a storyteller isn’t easy.

A friend shared this painting with me and I’d like to share it with you. I don’t know any information about this painting. But, I hope you stare at this image.

Anguish is at the center. Look at her eyes. Her mouth. Her outstretched arm, Her pulling from the man who is possibly her master or someone designated by him to manage the slaves. A fellow slave to the right empathizes with the mother’s anguish. With her hands on her face, you can only imagine what she’s shouting and saying as the baby is taken. Now look at the white men. I see content, anger, disgust, ownership. They don’t look back to watch the pain, although they most assuredly do hear it. They are ignoring her pleas. They are stealing her baby, a human being, from within her grasp and they shed no tears for their broken humanity.

This is what America is doing all over again. It’s not okay. If the law indeed was on the books before now, shame on legislature for not addressing that earlier. Shame on our administration for seeing this through to completion instead of showing us a better way.

I spent the morning tearfully trying to figure out how to help while my dishes waited to be cleaned and my laundry continued to build up on my couch. I can’t bear to listen to the cries we hear in video recordings. Yet, I know I should. I need to help. So, I called my Senators and Representative (just one – small state), and emailed my governor. It was simple.

*Ring ring* “Hello? Senator So & So’s office?”
“Hi. I need to tell _______ that what’s happening to the children at the border is ______ and we need action immediately.”
They all took my name and city or zip code and thanked me for my time. It’s simple. You can do it, too. Let your outrage make an impact. Let’s hope, anyways.

Once I did that, I decided there was still something more I could do. I can’t donate much money and I can’t hop on a plane in hopes of reaching someone in D.C. or at the camps themselves. But, I can organize a fundraiser for the ACLU. So that’s what I did. Most recently, the ACLU, or the American Civil Liberties Union, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking to stop the government’s policy of separating families in its tracks. They’re going to need our help.

100% of the profit from this shirt and products in this line will go directly to the ACLU. Here’s another shirt with profits to the ACLU. Just to be clear: I won’t actually see any money from these purchase except a final amount that was donated to the ACLU. The money will go straight from your purchase to TeeSpring to the ACLU. I hope you will join me in supporting the ACLU and children, regardless of why or how they came here. They didn’t make this decision for themselves. In fact, Dr. Colleen Kraft, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King that what was happening to these children “. . . is a form of child abuse.” We can’t sit by, hug our own children and do nothing about these other children and families who are hurting simply because they tried to find a better life.